Mark Twain, a Biography — Volume I, Part 1: 1835-1866 eBook

With a family of eight, now, including Jennie, the
slavegirl, more room was badly needed, and he began
building without delay. The result was not a
mansion, by any means, being still of the one-story
pattern, but it was more commodious than the tiny
two-room affair. The rooms were larger, and there
was at least one ell, or extension, for kitchen and
dining-room uses. This house, completed in 1836,
occupied by the Clemens family during the remainder
of the years spent in Florida, was often in later
days pointed out as Mark Twain’s birthplace.
It missed that distinction by a few months, though
its honor was sufficient in having sheltered his early
childhood.—­[This house is no longer standing.
When it was torn down several years ago, portions
of it were carried off and manufactured into souvenirs.
Mark Twain himself disclaimed it as his birthplace,
and once wrote on a photograph of it: “No,
it is too stylish, it is not my birthplace.”]

IV

BEGINNING A LONG JOURNEY

It was not a robust childhood. The new baby managed
to go through the winter—­a matter of comment
among the family and neighbors. Added strength
came, but slowly; “Little Sam,” as they
called him, was always delicate during those early
years.

It was a curious childhood, full of weird, fantastic
impressions and contradictory influences, stimulating
alike to the imagination and that embryo philosophy
of life which begins almost with infancy. John
Clemens seldom devoted any time to the company of
his children. He looked after their comfort and
mental development as well as he could, and gave advice
on occasion. He bought a book now and then—­sometimes
a picture-book —­and subscribed for Peter
Parley’s Magazine, a marvel of delight to the
older children, but he did not join in their amusements,
and he rarely, or never, laughed. Mark Twain
did not remember ever having seen or heard his father
laugh. The problem of supplying food was a somber
one to John Clemens; also, he was working on a perpetual-motion
machine at this period, which absorbed his spare time,
and, to the inventor at least, was not a mirthful
occupation. Jane Clemens was busy, too. Her
sense of humor did not die, but with added cares and
years her temper as well as her features became sharper,
and it was just as well to be fairly out of range
when she was busy with her employments.

Little Sam’s companions were his brothers and
sisters, all older than himself: Orion, ten years
his senior, followed by Pamela and Margaret at intervals
of two and three years, then by Benjamin, a kindly
little lad whose gentle life was chiefly devoted to
looking after the baby brother, three years his junior.
But in addition to these associations, there were
the still more potent influences Of that day and section,
the intimate, enveloping institution of slavery, the
daily companionship of the slaves. All the children
of that time were fond of the negroes and confided
in them. They would, in fact, have been lost without
such protection and company.